Shoe Lift Airport Security UK

[GiveMeAHellYeah]

Hey guys! I do hope I posted in the correct forum. As my flight is nearing, I can't help but think about my shoe lift due to my bad back (and increase my height haha). I was wondering if my shoe lifts are going to be confiscated when I reach the detector thingy? My flight will be departing from Heathrow

Is it okay to put it in my hand carry if I can't wear it to the airport?

Thanks

[S.o.S.]

Hello GMAHY and welcome to the forum.

The only thing likely to happen is that they will ask you to remove them so that they can be x-rayed separately. Bear in mind that, most of the staff will have seen thousands of people and all the variants of shoes. Do stop back after your flight and let us know what happened. Not least, which airports you went through and if you got a different response at each.

[Piltdown Man]

If you do have to remove your shoes, make sure you ask for foot/sock protectors. Walking on an unclean floor that has been previously walked by others wearing outdoor shoes is not something I do.

[Lantern10]

^^I can see that going down like a lead balloon.

[Piltdown Man]

Exactly. Hold your ground and they will either wash the floor (only once I'm afraid), get you replacement footwear or give you your own shoes back. Airport police have been involved once and agreed that they too wouldn't walk on the floor. Hold your ground. These cretinous scum have to treated in the way they deserve.

[Load Toad]

So do you. Pity the 'cretinous scum' don't treat you as you so clearly deserve.

[Piltdown Man]

Who pulled your chain? I deserve nothing but will object to and react to poor manners, attempts at bullying and intimidation. I treat people the same way as they treat me. I also comply with each and every request. But my overall experience of UK security staff is negative. I object to being shouted at, I don't like bad manners, being treated like an idiot, being lied to and overall being treated like scum. Now bearing in mind their primary responsibility is to ensure only bone fide passengers and persons with a valid reason to be airside pass their checkpoints and are not carrying anything they should not, I do not think they do a good job. This thread started because their poor reputation extends to such a degree that people who have medical requirements are worried their appliances and medication may be confiscated.

If you want to see charming security staff, go to Norway and Sweden. Here, they typically treat everybody with respect and courtesy and that it is reciprocated. This also results improved security as they are considered friends rather than foes. Doing so also enables the security staff to concentrate more on the person in front of them. At the same time members of the traveling public also buy into theirs and everyone else's security.

[ExXB]

PM, perhaps you should have said:

These cretinous scum have to treated in the way they are treating us!

[Piltdown Man]

By "us" I assume you mean the travelling public as well as crew. And yes, you are totally correct. I'm also afraid I'm guilty of allowing past experiences of colour my anticipation of what will happen in the future. Because I have to admit there was a charming guy on duty at INV. It was a refreshing change.

[Davef68]

In over 1000 domestic flights I've never had an issue with security staff.

[ExXB]

The few incidents I have experienced were in the UK and the US, and once in Canada.

[Hotel Tango]

On the whole I've had very few issues with security anywhere. Occasionally one may come across someone having a bad day - or maybe near the end of a long shift processing many brainless passengers who fail to read the notices or prepare adequately. Despite being a regular flyer, I can even include myself in that category as the other day I completely forgot that my phone was still in my pocket! :O

[simmple]

When you deal with the cretinous scum a few times per day you realise that is exactly what they are in the uk, for gods sake they are supposed to be on our side!
Said as a pilot.
As piltdown says in the majority of other countries they are respectful and courteous, they are even employed by the same company in many cases!

[aerobelly]

I normally traveled in business suit but no tie. One trip through the then-new current Stansted terminal I experimented with tee-shirt and jeans. That was a different experience! Although the security people were not actually rude it was a bumpier trip than I was used too. When I was paid to roam around the USA fixing computer software problems I had several sharp instruments in my kit -- including a scalpel and a pack of blades. Never was asked about those!

Today, well later this month actually, I'm on Eurostar. Not quite the '80s experience, there's a 30 minute queue for check-in to get on the thing, but I'm happy to pay the premium over going through Stansted.

[Heathrow Harry]

Worst is the USA - then the UK then Canada in my experience - and one or two nasty's in Oz

I've had the usual shakedown in a lot of African countries but never the rudeness you get in the Anglo-Saxon countries

Even Russia is better than the UK - tho I have been "detained" there

Best? Netherlands I think - then Hong Kong

[Hotel Tango]

Worst is the USA

It's a big country! It may well depend which airports you're using. The only security personnel who didn't impress me too much were at JFK International Terminal (quite a few years ago now). For the rest, which I have used, (ATL, LAX, SEA, LAS, TPA, FLL and IAD to name some), it's been OK to good. Perhaps I have just acclimatised to the American way of doing things! :)

[Piltdown Man]

TA - You are totally normal and made a normal oversight. So should you be shouted at? Do you shout at your colleague when they forget to press LNAV yet again? OK, here's the list of unpleasant and discourteous UK security staff locations - NCL, MME, LBA, CWL (by a mile), MAN, EDI, LHR, BHX, BRS (foul people). Obviously, there are many exceptions in the staff at these locations but in general they appear to be led by people who have no concept of respect or consideration. This is picked up by the staff and they treat you however they wish, without sanction. The problem is they are so far up themselves being unpleasant shouting and ordering people about they have little capacity left to do their real job - keeping the bad guys out.

[The Range]

Did you try asking them why do have to shout at you?

[ExXB]

They get out the rubber glives when you challange them. Not a good strategy.

[Heathrow Harry]

It's a big country! It may well depend which airports you're using. The only security personnel who didn't impress me too much were at JFK International Terminal (quite a few years ago now). For the rest, which I have used, (ATL, LAX, SEA, LAS, TPA, FLL and IAD to name some), it's been OK to good. Perhaps I have just acclimatised to the American way of doing things! :)


I lived there for years - Seattle is good - I've even had a great experience at Atlanta - and that included Immigration !

LA & JFK are uniformly bad

[BEagle]

Pilotdown Man wrote: If you do have to remove your shoes, make sure you ask for foot/sock protectors. Walking on an unclean floor that has been previously walked by others wearing outdoor shoes is not something I do.

Oh come on, precious. Just wear normal socks and be civil to the security people. Makes everyone's life a whole lot easier.

[Load Toad]

...god knows what it must be like when he sits on an aircraft seat other people's bums have been on...